War
by ShadowBlade7330
Summary: "War does not determine who is right- only who is left" Bertrand Russel. Zeki. AU.


**A/N:**Even though i _know _I should be studying, these damn one-shots keep popping up (I swear i'll update my chaptered fics after the 1st of June when my accursed papers finally end -_-') Anyway, this is yet another songfic, inspired by **Jay Sean's _'War'_**. I for one am in complete agreement with H.G. Wells when he says: **'If we don't end war, war will end us.'** ...  
Anyway, this is a Zeki, Yume fic. Its mostly from Zero's point of view, because he's fun to write (with all that sexy angsty drama going on xD I love you Zero! (Y) LOL, yes im pretty hyper right now. I've been meaning to type this out for ages.. Hope you guys enjoy it. Please be kind enough to take time and press that lovely, big, blue button and leave a **REVIEW.** Constructive criticism is welcomed. If you don't like reviewing you can always **PM** me, I'm open to that too!  
Oops, cant believe i nearly forgot! This is an **AU **where Zero's parents were massacred by Shizuka Hiou but he was saved by Yagari and Kaien just **before** Shizuka had a chance to bite him. He was bloodied and beaten up, and he did see Ichiru smile (creepily) and everything but he's just a troubled human boy with self-hate issues here. Oh and Kaname isn't related to Yuuki, or so involved in her childhood. On we go!  
**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Vampire Knight, it belongs solely to ****Matsuri Hino, I just love her artwork and those oh-so-hot vampires *drools*. The song belongs to Jay Sean.**

**{*) In case you didn't get it, Yuuki's grumbling is implying that Zero calls Yuuki, "Hey Yuu." because it sounds like "Hey you!" }  
**

* * *

**In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. **

**-Herodotus**

* * *

**I would march across the desert to defeat my enemy  
And I would lie here in the trenches with your picture next to me  
And when I told you it's forever, then it's how its gonna be  
Don't, won't let him just take the place of me (No..)**

"You have a _what_?" Kaien Cross yelped, loudly, faux-tears streaming down his face. Touga Yagari gave the man a funny look, and shook his head exasperatedly at the antics he was long accustomed to.

Zero raised a silver eyebrow at the petite brunette hopping from one foot to the other nervously. "A boyfriend?" He questioned incredulously. "Where did someone like you scrounge one up, Yuu?"

"Zero! You big, fat jerk!" She seemed to instantly lose all traces of her anxiety as she yelled at him. "Do you always _have_ to be so mean? He's so kind and sophisticated..." she swooned momentarily and Zero deadpanned at her.

"Since when have you expected _me_ to be nice?" It wasn't really a question, just a flat statement in an unimpressed voice.

"A girl can dream." Yuuki muttered under her breath. "But then again, what can one expect from a guy who addresses you as 'Hey Yuu'*****..." she scowled. "Jerk."

"I can hear you." Zero grumbled.

"I know!" Yuuki called back at him "You're supposed to!"

Zero shook his head resignedly; between this girl and the Chairman, he was surprised he wasn't nuts... He watched as Yuuki danced out of the room, ever-constant energy returning, unaware of his inner turmoil.

**Does he really know you like I know you, all the little things?**  
**Does he really love you, like I love you, how can he compete?**  
**If he makes me fight for you, die for you, would he do the same?**  
**This is turning into way more than a game..**

All at once, the rather insane atmosphere of the room fell. The Chairman's sunny persona fizzled as he sat in the corner, looking a little miffed (but more humanely so) at the fact that his 'precious daughter' was growing up. Zero dropped into a seat, looking pensive. It stung; the knowledge that his Yuuki, the only girl he had ever loved, had moved on so quickly from him and into another's arms. She had a _boyfriend. _He leaned back into the chair, throwing an arm over his face.

"Hurts, does it?" His mentor was suddenly at his head, hand resting on the back of his chair. Zero raised his arm to look at Yagari; as usual, his one icy-blue eye was unreadable. He began to glare but then, unable to muster the energy, he let it go and exhaled sharply. The Associations de-facto president seemed to take that as assent, for he continued. "Why aren't you with the little prefect anyway, kid?

"...because nobody wants damaged goods..." Zero's arm was back over his eyes, and his posture was indicating that he had never even replied.

Yagari took in the rather detached tone and commented. "Always with that cynicism, what happened to that irritatingly optimistic child?"

Zero's frown was visible in the set of his mouth. "When life gives you lemons..."

"That dim-wit hermit," Yagari tilted his head at the Chairman in indication "told me there was a 'phase' where you were... well, together. What happened?"

Zero did give him a piercing glare this time, amethyst eyes narrowed and annoyed. Unfazed, his teacher shrugged, icy eye still fixed on his student.

"...she found it 'too weird'... dating her 'childhood bestfriend who knew things about her she wouldn't want _anyone_ to know'."

Yagari scoffed. "All she left out was the part where she called you 'brother', eh?"

"Small blessing." Zero's voice was muted, barely more than a whisper.

As if taking her cue, Yuuki pranced back in, changed and hair pulled back. "So," she said. "I'm inviting Kaname to dinner tomorrow."

_Kaname._ The word was a sneer even in Zero's mind. He had never quite thought it possible to hate someone he had never even seen. Kaien looked over at his adopted son and they exchanged glances that screamed 'bloody murder'. For different reasons of course. Zero found himself thinking that mayve the Chairman wasn't quite as maniacal and different, from the silver-haired hunter, as he seemed. Behaving like he had heard Zero's arbitrary thought and was determined to prove him wrong, Kaien's alter-ego returned full force.

"My cute little lovely daughters growing _up!"_ He cried, hands over his face, shoulders heaving in great, gasping sobs. Zero face-palmed. So much for _that_.

"Dim-wit hermit." Yagari took a puff out of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke.

Zero tilted his head at his _sensei. _"Split personality disorder?" he asked quietly.

Yagari shot him a glance, out of the corner of his eye. "I asked him about that once... His words were: 'One "Zero-kun" at home is enough of a bad influence on my beloved Yuuki.'."

Zero tsked, irritated, as he witnessed another teary display from the 'Master Swordsman' in front of him. Hard to believe him as even _remotely _a threat, seeing him at this very moment. He needed that man to shut up or his head would combust. "Hey, Yuu. You are aware your street urchin might not make it out of this 'dinner' alive." It was not a question, merely a very menacing statement, made all the more so by a twitch of his fingers towards his gun. It had the desired effect though, the teary tirade halted and Yuuki gulped. Kaien's eyes were glinting with an astonishing approval of Zero's pissed-off suggestion.

"This whole family is insane." Yagari grumbled, running a hand down his face.

* * *

**Now it feels like soldiers in a war and none of us are backing down**  
**And I will show you victory is mine before we leave this battleground**  
**Cause he don't wanna leave, and I don't wanna go**  
**And I know just how this battle goes**  
**He don't wanna leave and I don't wanna fight this kind of war**

"Okay, Zero, try not to shoot anyone." Yuuki fussed, worried. "Put that gun _away._"

"No harm in scaring the man trying to steal my beautiful little daughter." As always, Kaien was terrifyingly cheerful. Zero smirked in triumph at Yuuki. She pulled a face at him and then immediately jumped as the doorbell rang.

"He's here! Please, please, _please_ be nice!" She gave a last warning, as she rabbited over to the door, anxiety literally exploding from her. Zero exhaled, once... twice. He. Was. _N__ot._ Going. To. Kill. That. Motherfucking. Bastard. Today, he added. He made to put away the Bloody Rose, when suddenly a tremor overtook him and his head snapped up. His gun was cocked up and ready instantly, and his posture was defensive, as Yuuki led a tall, regal-looking, mahagony-haired man by the arm.

"_Pureblood._" Zero hissed venomously. The man's wine-coloured eyes were infinitely amused as he took in Zero's aggressive stance and arrogantly, amusedly, with the air of an adult patronizing a particularly badly-behaved child, he tilted his chin at him. Even Kaien looked slightly taken-aback at the sudden violent display from Zero. Yuuki quickly placed herself between the two of them, standing directly in front of the gun.

"Zero, behave! This is Kaname, my boyfriend." she blushed and Kaname smiled.

"Nice to meet you." His tone was quite sarcastic but still conveyed his entertainment fully. The love-lorn Yuuki did not seem to notice the acerbic tone.

Kaien extended a hand to him courteously. "Kaname Kuran, i presume."

Kaname nodded politely even as Yuuki whispered, shrilly. "Zero. Put. The. Gun. Away.".

Zero's expression was stormy and menacing as he stalked over to Yuuki and yanked her roughly away from Kaname. "You're dating a _fucking_ pureblooded _vampire_?" He snarled at her, amethyst eyes never leaving said pureblood's ruby ones, which were regarding him coolly. Yuuki flushed bright-red with anger.

"Thats NONE of your business, Zero. Now let go of me and put your weapon away!" she shouted furiously.

Zero's face contorted with anger. "Do whatever you _fucking_ want, I'm leaving! I don't want to eat with a _royal leech." _Zero was besides himself with rage as he spat out the words both to her and Kaname. He stormed out the front door, slamming it shut behind him. Yuuki sighed miserably. So much for a good first impression. Plus, he was going to give her _hell_ later.

* * *

**You know he's not the man you think he is; he's hiding all his flaws**  
**So tell me what's the point of fighting? Because we'll all end up with scars**  
**But girl if that's what I must go through, then I'm not prepared to lose**  
**Cause I've already bled so much for you (No..)**

With the exception of Zero's stomping out of the house, the dinner had gone quite well; Kaname managed to leave upon the Chairman quite a good expression, and the Chairman managed to keep his insanity at bay. Yuuki blushed as she remembered how Kaname had kissed her on the doorstep before leaving. She raised a hand to her lips, still red and then shook her head furiously to clear her mind. She smiled to herself as she began to climb up the stairs to her room. The second her door swung open, her smile slid off. As she had expected, Zero was in her room, waiting for her, seething.

"What the _hell_ do you _think_ you're doing?" His eyes were smoldering with cold fury.

"Zero... He's not like the others! He's the one who saved me all those years ago!"

"They're _all_ the same, Yuuki!" he spat out. "They are all just waiting for a chance to _drain_ you dry of blood!' He sneered.

Yuuki's eyebrow twitched. "Zero; everybody is not like that!"

"A pureblood can _never_ be trusted." His voice was low, but somehow that made his anger all the more terrifying. "And he's the freaking _king_ of those bloodsuckers!"

"Stop it, Zero! I _love_ him..." she trailed off when she saw the silver-haired hunter's demeanor become more ominous.

"What does _he _have that i don't?" His voice was very quiet, and the regret in his eyes indicated that the words had slipped out without him meaning to say them.

"Zero..." Yuuki's eyes filled up with sadness.

"Answer me!" Zero voice was back to a snarl, moment of insecurity seemingly pushed aside. "What does he have other than a set of _fangs_ and an inherent ability to _ruin_ lives?"

"Zero! Why can't you look past the fact that he's a vampire? He always takes such good care of me! He _loves_ me too!"

Zero's glare deepened. "Purebloods are not capable of love; all they do is manipulate you!"

"Zero, just because your family was killed by a pureblood, doesn't mean Kaname will hurt me!" Yuuki clamped her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had just said.

Zero's mouth thinned and Yuuki hastened to correct her error, unwittingly making it worse. "Its just that i don't understand... Not everyone is..."

"I can't stand to see that... that..." he couldn't seem to find a word bad enough to call Kaname. "I cant stand to see _him _ruin your life."

"He won't!"

"How do you know?" He sent a piercing glare towards her.

"Because he's _always _taken care of me, he _saved_ me!"

"How do you know he's not using you!" he growled.

"What _is_ your problem, Zero?" Yuuki said furiously, temper lost.

"My problem is that i love _you_!" He was equally furious.

"How do you know that's not the _only _problem?" Yuuki screamed at her bestfriend, words slipping out before she could think them through. Zero flinched, taking an automatic step back, hurt.

"Ah... Zero... no, that's not..." Yuuki mumbled, shocked at herself for saying that to Zero... Poor Zero...

"I was only looking out for you, Yuu... Yuuki." he said, cutting through her apologies, eyes dark. "But you're right, it's not my place. Never has been."

Yuuki realized, alarmed that he was withdrawing into himself completely. "No, Zero! That's not..."

"Oh, i understand completely." He interjected, again. He inclined his head at her giving her a cold, tight smile; mouth set in a hard, firm line. "Sorry for interfering."

"Zero!" she yelled, looking at his departing back with horror. "Zero, please! You know that's not what i meant!" But Zero, did not turn nor glance back. He kept walking, leaving a very guilty brunette.

* * *

**Does he really know you like I know you, all the little things?**  
**Does he really love you, like I love you, how can he compete?**  
**If he makes me fight for you, I die for you, would he do the same?**  
**Baby this is turning into way more than a game..**

Zero splashed cold water over his face viciously. What _had_ he expected? Yuuki had never loved him, she just hadn't had the heart to turn him down when he had confessed to her. He glared at his reflection in the mirror before slamming his fist into it, not caring as the shards dug into his hand, cutting him. Blood was trickling from his fist, down his wrist and into the sink. He watched it flow and memories of the night when that of the Kiryuu bloodline had been smeared on every surface returned to him. He flinched as he remembered how close _she_ had been to biting him. If she had succeeded... he would be a monster... just like Yuuki's precious Kaname Kuran... only worse... because he would be the scum of the vampire world. The very vermin he hunted... More than once he had wondered if, had he been bitten, he would have had the courage to end his own life...

He looked at his bloodied vanity, realizing he should start cleaning up the wreckage, but then his cellphone rang. He recognized the tone as his mentor's and went to answer it, giving the shattered mirror one last departing glance.

"Hello?"

_"What took you so damn long?" _

"..." Zero didn't reply. "Has something come up sensei?"

_"Yeah... pack your stuff and let your crazy family know... you've been assigned to the Western front."_

"Which battalion?" Zero ran a hand down his face. The Western Front was the stage to the most brutal war between the pureblood army of level E's and the Association hunters...

_"Mine."_

"How soon am i expected to be there?"

_"We leave before dawn, kid."_

"I understand." Zero hung up. This would not end pretty...

* * *

**Baby cause we're soldiers in a war and none of us are backing down**  
**And I will show you victory is mine before we leave this battleground**  
**Cause he don't wanna leave, and I don't wanna go**  
**And I know just how this battle goes**  
**He don't wanna leave and I don't wanna fight this kind of war (No, No..)**

Zero knocked on the Chairman's door, quietly. When he heard the "Come in." he twisted the handle and walked inside silently. One look at Kaien's face told the boy that his adoptive father already knew.

"Yagari-sensei told you?"

"Yes."

Zero swallowed. "I'm going to go, you can't stop me."

"I know. Duty comes first with you, doesn't it Kiryuu-kun?" The man in front of him gave a small, rather sad smile. It was times like this when Zero could see something in Kaien Cross that reminded him eerily of himself.

"It has to."

Kaien nodded once, understanding what the silver-haired boy meant. "Have you told Yuuki?"

"No..." Zero looked away.

"You should."

"She wouldn't want to see me right now."

"I know you had a fight, but this is different Kiryuu-kun." Kaien frowned, slightly.

"I can't." Zero's voice was muted. "She'll try to stop me."

Kaien shook his head. He knew exactly how sensitive the area was. "She deserves a goodbye."

"I know." Zero lowered his eyes. "Goodbye Kaien-san."

"Goodbye, son."

* * *

**Getting kind of sick of this battle**  
**Wish I could take it back to when I had you**  
**I'm always thinking that I can have you, just let him have you**  
**It's getting kinda hard to convince you**  
**After all the shit that we've been through**  
**What, would you let all this happen?**  
**You gotta choice to make it stop**  
**It's already going too far..**

Zero shot two consecutive shots at the mutilated ex-human; one to the forehead, and one to the heart, but he barely had the satisfaction of watching it become ashes before turning to the next one, attempting to jump at him. It was too close for him to aim at its head so he quickly drew the anti-vampire knife assigned to him and threw it, with true aim at the vermin's heart. It stuck with a sickening squelch and Zero's mouth turned down with distaste as the thing in front of him let out a series of animalistic sounds before scattering in the winds. They had been fighting for two weeks already, and the Association's elite were beginning to tire, yet the deformed ex-humans had not yielded. The hunters were cutting them down quickly but they were being replaced with an even greater haste. Zero wiped the sweat from his eyes as he spotted a surrounded hunter, he quickly retrieved his knife, the _Silver Fox_ and once again flung it at the crowd. It scattered, giving the hunter room to stand up and attempt to defend himself.

"They're... g-getting... st-t-ronger..." he choked.

Zero nodded at him "Keep to your partner. We need to defend our own backs."

_Speaking of. Where was Yagari-sensei?_ Zero scanned the masses of clashes in front of him. He spotted the unruly mop of raven hair just an instant before he saw the assailant trying to catch him off guard. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was definitely an ex-human indicated by its deformed body. Its hair was gold and he had the mark of a fallen level-E in the middle of its forehead. It was, however, walking on two legs and had four arms. The skin was a chalk white but it's red eyes were its most startling feature. The creatures eye's were not crazed; they had a lucidity not common in its race. All of Zero's senses were prickling in warning to this strange anomaly, he could sense a greater amount of pure blood in its aura... Could it be that the leeches had discovered a way to increase the strength of the abominations they created? Zero's eyes flickered to his teacher, already facing quite a number of adversaries... without a second thought, he ran to his teacher, even as the monster lifted its hands to strike.

"Sensei!" a panicked shout left him. Yagari turned visible eye glimpsing the creature behind him as he spun to the side, but the moment of inattention to his previous prey had made them the predators and they struck. Yagari fell back with a yell of pain as three scratch marks appeared on his face across the bridge of his nose, extending from the cheekbone of his undamaged eye. Zero took three out with the _Bloody Rose_ before Yagari even had a chance to recover. He advanced towards the ex-human mercenary with the diaphanous eyes which were staring him down coolly.

"Are you alright, sensei?" Zero asked, not taking his eyes off the oddity.

"Yeah..." Yagari got up, looking for his revolver which the level E had knocked out of his hand.

_"Looking for thissss?" _A sibilant hiss came from the E-warrior, who was holding up Yagari's anti-vampire gun. When had it picked the weapon up? Zero did not recall seeing it move. The anti-vampire charms on it, did not seem to have an effect on it, for the thing was holding it rather calmly.

Yagari exchanged a glance with Zero, who cocked his gun in response. "We don't need it to take you down, freak."

"_Ohh, confident little brat aren't you? To think you can take down a _**Kráľ bývalých ****ľudí**!" its tongue slithered out. It was split at the front, rather like a snakes and there was definitely something serpentine about its manner. Its lack of worry at facing two vampire hunters was, well... worrisome. Zero's eyes narrowed as he released the catch on the Bloody Rose. He shot at the monstrosity rapidly, surprised and increasingly worried at its fearsome speed. This was definitely not possible for a normal level E. Yagari had two small daggers in his hand one of which he threw at the self-proclaimed "**King of exhumans**". With a blinding movement, it twisted out of harms way. Zero caught the knife and chucked it back at Kráľ who only dodged it again. This time, it stopped, giving Zero a feral grin and Yagari took his chance and threw the second dagger at it, and it met its mark, embedding itself in the Kráľ's arm. It hissed in pain and then struck out, like any wounded animal. Its arm swung furiously, catching Zero at the side of his head, flinging him sideways. He winced at the impact and raised a hand to his bleeding temple. If it was possible, the Kráľ s eyes grew even redder with the bloodlust but it did not move towards the fallen Zero, instead it slipped over to where a now weaponless Yagari was standing.

* * *

**Girl we're soldiers in a war and none of us are backing down**  
**And I will show you victory is mine before we leave this battleground**  
**Cause he don't wanna leave, and I don't wanna go**  
**And I know just how this battle goes**  
**He don't wanna leave and I don't wanna fight this kind of war**

Touga Yagari was many things, but a coward he was not. Nor was he a quitter. So when the Kráľ bývalých ľudí made its way to him, he settled into a defensive stance with his chin tilted in defiance. His eye darted momentarily to Zero who was picking himself off the ground, hand to his head, and then returned to the vermin in front of him.

"Whats the matter scum, can't take down even a weaponless hunter?" Yagari knew it wasn't smart to taunt a creature that had the upper hand but he could not allow his student to get hurt. This way the monster would have a distraction and Zero would finish him.

_"Sss sss sss" _A slithering laugh escaped it. _"Foolissssh mortal..."_ It lifted its hands, watching in satisfaction as its fingernails curved into claws. He stretched his hands sideways, preparing to strike; the clash of twenty lethal claws through Yagari's body.

"Bring it on, you freak." Yagari smirked, his eye closed involuntarily as he perceived the claws getting nearer to ending his life. _You'd better shoot straight in its heart, Zero. There will be no second chances._ He thought to himself, mentally preparing himself for the hit. The squelching sound of the talons as they met its mark, and then a cry of pain sounded, following immediately by two gun shots aimed directly at the Kráľ bývalých ľudí's heart. A guttural scream. The sound of ash scattering to the winds. The sound of a body thudding to the ground.

* * *

**Cause he don't wanna leave, and I don't wanna go**  
**And I know just how this battle goes**  
**He don't wanna leave and I don't wanna fight this kind of war..**

It was the lack of pain that alerted Yagari that there was something wrong. His ice-blue eye snapped open and he was met with the sight of a crumpled Zero, torso slashed heavily with four diagonal stripes of five claws each. His only eye was wide with horror as he saw that the very opposite of what he had anticipated, had happened.

"Zero!" He knelt down, next to his blood-soaked student, lifting him up, supporting him against his own body.

"Hey sensei..." Zero choked out even as his father-figure/mentor held him up, attempting to heal him with the Hunter Associations spells. "Thankyou... for everything... you've done for me... for us..." Blood was trickling out of his mouth as he forced out his sentence.

"Idiot apprentice, this is no way to thank someone!" Yagari was uncharacteristically furious, his ventures to close the slashed wounds failing. Zero choked out a hoarse laugh, then winced as a cough wracked his frame, jostling the cuts. White hot pain was exploding through his body. That bastard Kráľ bývalých ľudí had managed to inflict severe wounds, intended to kill. Yagari knew that without question, his stubborn, pig-headed, idiot student, strong as he was, would have had had trouble fighting these odds in the middle of a hospital let alone this unassisted battlefield. Yet, he could not stop himself from his desperate tries to save him. This boy was the only family he had.

"Sensei... you should... conserve your energy..." Zero was having troubles speaking around the blood in his mouth and filling his throat. Yagari ignored him completely, trying yet another spell. Zero halted his hand. "sensei... tell... Yuu..ki... i'm..."

"Tell her yourself, kid!" Yagari was adamant. "You're not going anywhere!"

Zero gave him a tired half-smile, the expression in his eyes clearly conveying what he lacked the physical strength to say. _You and I both know I'm not going to make it._

"Damn you, you bloody idiot apprentice! Couldn't you just have _shot_ it? Why the _fuck_ did you have to become my human shield!" Yagari's visibe eye was wet.

Zero shook his head weakly. "_Tell... Yuuki... I'm sorry..." _his words were faint.

"Alright, kid... you say hi to your family for me." Yagari said gruffly, hand on his students head, the other wiping the tear from his eye.

Zero's mouth lifted up slightly at the corner, then slid back slowly as the last few seconds of his life trickled away; amethyst eyes turning glassy, blind to the world. Yagari closed his eyes gently, and rose, all emotion being wiped away harshly. There was pure hatred and wrath in his eyes as he picked up both the Bloody Rose and his own gun. _Those motherfucking bastards were not going to outlive the last of the Kiryuu's by much longer._

**Cause he don't wanna leave, and I don't wanna go**  
**And I know just how this battle goes**  
**He don't wanna leave and I don't wanna fight this kind of war..**

It was a blood drenched and ash covered Yagari that returned to the Cross household, carrying Zero's broken body. Face hollowed and gaunt, he looked several years older in the weeks he had been away. There were several additions in the scars on his face but they were overshadowed by the inestimable grief in every one of his features. Loss had worn him down greatly.

He stepped over the doorjamb silently, ignoring Kaien's mournful expression as he opened the door. He walked over to the couch, laying Zero on it with a pointless but touching gentleness.

"They'll be here to... collect... him soon." Yagari's voice broke in the middle of the first words he had uttered. He swallowed, trying to compose himself. His gaze drifted over to a stricken, stationary Yuuki staring at what had once been her bestfriend. He headed directly to the liquor cabinet, a slight limp in his step. He was far too sober to see this much pain in a child's eyes as she witnessed death... that too of a loved one.

* * *

He looked so peaceful in death, and naturally pale, he appeared no different from when he was... alive. He could have merely been asleep, although Yuuki knew best that peace was the last thing that accompanied Zero in his dreams. He was plagued by nightmares of his family's death almost every time he closed his eyes.

Yuuki took an unconscious step forward until she was right in front of Zero's soulless vessel. His legs curved over the edge much as they had when he fell asleep while she worked on her Math. She reached out a tentative hand, and touched his cheek. It was cold. So cold. She swallowed, lump in her throat growing and throbbing.

"Zero." she whispered. "Zero, wake up." She patted his cheek insistently. "Wake UP, Zero! That's enough! This isn't f-f-funny!' her voice was quivering, eyes welling up with tears. "This is a s-sick joke, right? To get b-back at m-me for what i said, r-right?" Tears were trickling in quick succession down her face. "ZERO! OPEN YOUR EYES PLEASE! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU _CAN'T!"_ she was besides herself in hysteria, beating her fists on his chest, demanding a reaction, any reaction.

Kaien looked upon her helplessly. he wanted to comfort his daughter but there was nothing he could do as she cried and screamed, mourning her loss. He touched her shoulder gently, trying to pull her away from zero's lifeless corpse."Yuuki..."

"NO!" she jerked away from his touch, burying her face in Zero's shoulder.

He turned haplessly towards Yagari who was drowning his miseries in bourbon. Wordlessly, Kaien joined him, casting one last glance at a still sobbing Yuuki.

"Please, NO. PLEASE." she sobbed, brokenly. "Let this be a nightmare! I'll do anything." she hiccuped weakly. She burrowed her face deeper into the crook of his neck where she had oft been comforted, but with the marked absence of his rhythmic heartbeat, it only served as a reminder that her Zero was gone where she would never be able to reach him again. Yet another innocent; another victim claimed by a war that was not his battle to fight...

* * *

**FLASHBACK:**

_There was an insistent rapping on her door. She opened one eye and then the other when it didn't relent. She opened the door and saw Zero standing there, clad in jeans and a t-shirt. Absently, she noted that this was strange at this time of night, but her anger over their quarrel, and the interruption of her sleep, had won over her remorse._

_"WHAT?" she yelled angrily.  
_

_His face was unreadable as he looked at her, his eyes were intense, looking at her like he was memorizing her face.  
_

_"What?" she repeated, this time less angrily. He was scaring her.  
_

_Without warning, he pulled her to him tightly. Holding her close.  
_

_"Zero?" Yuuki was starting to get really worried now.  
_

_He pulled back and kissed her, hands on either side of her face. It was gentle and chaste but desperately passionate, as if he was afraid... of something... of losing her. He leaned back almost just as abruptly. "I'm sorry Yuuki, for everything... I just want you to be happy." he smiled at her, a small sad smile that didn't quite touch the misery in his eyes. _

_"Zero..."  
_

_"No, don't be confused or sad. This was just a last selfish request from me. Be safe and happy... with Kaname."  
_

_"Oh... okay." Yuuki was still giving him a worried stare but her relief was greater at that instant. "So you're okay with him... and me?"  
_

_Zero nodded, hand reaching out to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Goodnight Yuuki."  
_

_She beamed worries dispelled. So caught up in her relief that she didn't catch the whisper, fainter than air, "Goodbye."  
_

* * *

**Only the dead have seen the end of the war.  
-George Santayana**

* * *

**A/N:** So, what'd you think? Loved it? hated it? Did i make you cry? Did my attempt at tragedy make you laugh? found it boring? wanted to throttle me for killing Zero? *ducks behind Yagari* liked it? Any questions? Comments? Problems? Please be kind enough to sate a review-starved author and leave a few comments or more, if you want. Please **REVIEW. or PM. :P**

"Kráľ bývalých ľudí " means "King of ex-humans" in Slovak. I don't know how correct this translation is but i needed an insertion to point out how exotic and new this thing was. :p

Thanks,  
Shadow. ^_^


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